I get by with a little help from my friends

When it comes to your wedding, the 1967 words of John Lennon and Paul McCartney couldn’t ring more true.

The wild wedding ride is not only with your fiancé, it’s with your friends and family, since they’re the ones who will share the ins and outs of the entire planning process with you.

From the texture of your dress to the exact colour shade of the seating chart (‘it’s periwinkle, not purple’), they’ll listen, discuss, support and care about the decisions you make along the way.

While bearing witness to your pledge of commitment and celebrating the occasion with you, your friends and family are most importantly part of the serendipity when the big day arrives.

They’ll create moments that you didn’t plan, and make memories for you all.

For my friend Juliet, (pictured below) her bridesmaids were definitely part of her tribe – they were there the night before the wedding, setting in motion a midnight skinny dip in Lake Rotoiti.

They were there to toast with a tequila shot moments before departing for the ceremony, and they were by her side, creating new inside jokes, all wedding long.

On my wedding day my brother Marc’s speech, unprompted and unforgettable, triggered a few other unplanned speeches from friends and family.

The sentiments brought my wedding experience to another level.

Almost seven years later, it’s still my favourite part of our wedding video.

Your friends and family are there to keep you smiling when the planning becomes stressful, to prop you up if you need it, and to walk into the future with you, open armed.

There’s a reason that Beatles song is considered one of the greatest songs of all time. It’s about something we all know and love and appreciate: friendship.

What are some of the things your family and friends have done to make your wedding journey memorable?